Cover crops are an important part of most no-till conservation systems, but they must to be managed correctly to fully realize their potential benefits. Among other things, these benefits include a reduction in soil erosion and the suppression of weed pressure. For example, in southern portions of the US, rye (Secale Cereale. L.) is commonly used as a winter cover crop. Rye improves soil properties and releases chemicals that suppress weeds. Rye also reduces soil compaction, facilitates water and air infiltration, and increases soil organic matter content.
At the end of a selected cover crop growing cycle, the cover crops are terminated so that a cash crop can emerge and thrive. Termination of the cover crop allows the cash crops to fully benefit from the soil conditioning properties of the terminated cover crops without competing with the cover crops for water and nutrients.
In the past, herbicides were the preferred means of terminating cover crops, primarily because the herbicide application process is relatively fast and effective. Although herbicide application effectively kills the cover crops, there may be problems associated with unintended over-spray, spray drift, and undesirable chemical run-off. The herbicides also leave the cover crop stalks in tact. The stalks and associated crop residue subsequently interfere with the cash crop planting process, particularly for cover crops (such as rye) that generate a large amount of biomass. As a result, frequent stops are required to clean accumulated cover crop residue from planting units. In addition, cover crop biomass often causes hair-pinning, a condition in which crop residue prevents adequate seed-soil contact.
Rolling and crimping devices have been developed to destroy and mulch the cover crops and thereby address these issues. However, operators of the crimping devices frequently complain of the excessive vibrations associated with the devices. The excessive vibrations commonly result in an increased heart rate, headache, stomach pain, and lower back pain. Prolonged exposure to these types of excessive vibrations may lead to spinal degeneration. Although the severity of the vibrations can be reduced by simply reducing operating speed, this is generally regarded as an economically impractical solution, particularly in view of the relatively higher operating speeds achievable using herbicide-oriented methods.
Several vibration-mitigating roller systems have been developed to address vibration problems, but these devices are primarily directed to large-scale operators with powerful and versatile tractors. Smaller farming operations (especially vegetable farms) cannot use the large-scale rollers because their tractors are generally smaller and lack the power and capability required to operate the larger and heavier rollers.
The need exists for a roller/crimper system compatible with smaller scale operations that effectively destroys and mulches crops without transmitting excessive vibrations to the operator. The current invention provides a two-stage roller that effectively destroys cover crops, reduces detrimental vibrations, and is compatible with the power constraints of tractors common in smaller, lower income farming operations.